She Took Her Camera
by fringeperson
Summary: I was sent a plot bunny and a load of artistic licence. I let it stew for a couple of days, read something that had nothing to do with CR, and came back to find something nice had happened. DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these Charas, 'cept maybe the kitt
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Haru stared in surprise for a moment, looking at the scroll in the letterbox. Taking it out and unrolling it, Haru tried to decipher the pictograms of the Cat Kingdom while her other hand absently collected the other letters and her feet carried her back through the front door and into the kitchen.

Dumping the regular mail on the table in front of her mother, Haru sat down absently and continued staring at the hieroglyphic-like text. She recognised the symbol of the prince of the land from the last time she had received such a document from them. She really hoped that they weren't making her another offer, but that picture was in the middle of other "text", so it probably wasn't Lune offering his firstborn kitten's paw in marriage to her.

"Haru, who's B?" she heard her mother ask from the other side of a letter addressed to her.

"Baron!?" she almost yelped the name. Haru snatched the letter away and opened it, the scroll from the Cat Kingdom forgotten. Anything from the Baron left everything else by the wayside.

"Dear Haru," she paused, not getting any further than that opening line in the letter. He was a gentleman, how else would he being a letter? Nevertheless, he had called her Dear and her heart pounded. The young woman continued to read the letter silently.

He understood that Yuki and Lune had invited her to the christening of their first litter – which would explain the scroll – they had invited him too. He wanted to know if she would like to go with him… together. He and Toto would be waiting for her at the Crossroads come high noon, if she wanted to go with them.

Haru looked sharply at the clock. She had an hour to get ready and reach the Crossroads.

"Mum, I'm going to go out. I might be away overnight, okay?" Haru asked, eyeing her mother across the table.

"Only if you tell me who this Baron is," Naoko answered, an eyebrow raised high over the rim of her spectacles.

Haru sat back in her chair shyly. Wondering what she _could_ tell her mother about the whole thing – when she had come back from the Cat Kingdom, she had told her mother she had been with a friend overnight and apologised for not calling. Now she had to either admit to lying about that, or come up with something else. Haru didn't like lying to her mother; it left her feeling a little dirty on the inside where she couldn't scrub.

"A guy," she said at last.

"I guessed that much," her mother answered. "Where do you know him from?"

"We kind of met by accident," Haru said, working her way through the truth to leave out the bits that would leave her mother thinking she was nuts. "A friend of mine introduced me to a friend of his, and then I met him we and started talking." Haru thought some more, trying to think of a way to get her mother to let her go. "He's a gentleman Mum, and he can make me waltz, properly so that I don't hurt five other people when I do it."

"You can go," Naoko said, impressed that anyone could take away the need for a nurse to be on hand when Haru walked onto the dance floor.

"Yes! Thanks Mum!" Haru said, leaping up from the table and bounding for the door. She had to change.

"But Haru," Naoko said, calling her daughter back from the stair. "You're not to let this gentleman sweet-talk you into being a harlot," she warned when Haru had stuck her head back into the door to listen.

"He wouldn't do that anyway Mum," Haru objected. "I'd be lucky to get more than a kiss on my hand from him I think," she added, leaving the kitchen behind again.

Haru was out the front door in half an hour, wearing her swimsuit underneath a simple green shirt and yellow skirt. She remembered that there was a lake in the Cat Kingdom, and the thought of going for a swim was appealing, since it was well into summer, and therefore quite warm. There was also a camera in her bag – with her towel and hairbrush. It would be nice to have a picture of all her friends in the Cat Kingdom.

Haru went via the park to get to the Crossroads. It was such a lovely day, she didn't think she would be able to bear walking through streets. She wanted to be surrounded by flowers and birds singing.

Passing the fountain in the centre of the park, Haru heard a tomtit singing its "willow-tit-willow" in a tree, and smiled sadly when it stopped singing to drink from the fountain.

"On a tree by a river, a little tomtit sang "willow-tit-willow-tit-willow", and I said to him: "Dicky-bird, why do you sit singing 'willow-tit-willow-tit-willow'? Is it weakness of intellect, birdie?" I cried, "Or a rather tough worm in your little inside?" With a shake of his poor little head he replied "Oh, willow-tit-willow-tit-willow"." Haru sang, remembering the sad song from the time her father had taken her to see _The Mikado_ by Gilbert and Sullivan.

She left the park behind, nearly at the Crossroads, still singing that sad little song.

"He slapped at his chest as he sat on that bough, oh willow-tit-willow-tit-willow, and a cold perspiration bespangled his brow, oh willow-tit-willow-tit-willow. He sobbed and he sighed and a gurgle he gave, then he plunged himself into the billowy wave, and an echo arose from the suicide's grave: oh willow-tit-willow-tit-willow."

Checking her watch, Haru realised she had reached the Crossroads with a little extra time, so she sat down in front of the café where she had first met Muta and went on singing the last verse of the song.

"Now I feel just as sure as I'm sure that my name isn't willow-tit-willow-tit-willow, that was blighted affection that made him exclaim "oh willow-tit-willow-tit-willow" –"

"Now if you remain callous and obdurate I shall perish as he did, and you will know why, though I probably shall not exclaim as I die "oh willow-tit-willow-tit-willow"." A male voice interrupted her singing, but she sang the final willow-tit-willow-tit-willow anyway, searching for the fine tenor that had taken over the last line of the song.

A crow landed on the back of the chair beside Haru. It was Toto, with Baron on his back. They were both smiling.

"You have a lovely voice, Miss Haru, but why such a sad song?" asked the crow, tilting his black head as he looked at her.

"I heard a tomtit singing as I walked through the park on my way here… Um, did you see who was singing just then?" she enquired, shy.

"That was me," answered the gentleman cat. "How are you Miss Haru?"

"Very well, thank you, and yourself?" Why, Haru wondered, did the conversation feel stifled? Perhaps it had something to do with their parting words and that last line about dying without love…

"Quite tolerable," answered Baron. "Shall we be going then?"

Haru nodded, picked up her bag and followed the stone bird and wooden cat through town until they reached the Bureau, where a portal into the Cat Kingdom awaited them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Natoru was waiting for them on the other side of the glowing way in. Toto wasn't coming – it didn't matter how much larger than all the cats he would be, he was still a bird and they outnumbered him. Muta wasn't coming either, he'd said that Lune probably had enough to worry about being king and a new father, without having to make concessions for an old criminal like him.

Haru's shoulders sagged, but she promised herself that she would get a photo of herself with them when she got back from the christening.

"I'm not going to change this time, am I?" Haru asked Natoru suspiciously before she stepped through to the Cat Kingdom.

"That is completely up to you Miss Haru. King Lune said that if you really didn't want to, it shouldn't be a problem," the foolish cat replied, smiling blandly.

"Then I guess there's nothing stopping me," she said to herself, leaving the Cat Bureau and entering the Cat Kingdom.

For a moment, everything was misty, then it cleared and Haru stood beside Natoru, only head and shoulders taller than the cat. That was fine by her, she wouldn't be able to get into the castle to watch the christening if she were her normal size. The bonus, however, was when the Baron joined them and looked down scant centimetres into her eyes and offered his arm.

They didn't walk like that for long; Natoru had brought a carriage for them, and the Baron helped Haru up into it before climbing in beside her. It was nice, watching the Cat Kingdom roll by, and Haru put her hands down on the seat so that she could lift herself a little off the seat and see further.

The direction of her gaze changed quickly though, when she felt another hand cover hers gently – the hand closest to Baron. He had wrapped his gloved fingers around her bare ones and was looking at her in much the same way as she had been staring out at the landscape.

"Isn't the lake beautiful?" she asked, determined to act normal, even if her heart did pound in her ears.

"Just beautiful," he answered, his green eyes seeing only her.

Haru turned a little pink and was glad when the shadow of the castle enfolded them.

Lune stood waiting for them in the entrance hall of the castle, Yuki, he said, was busy with maids and kittens. The three of them talked as they walked, the king leading them to a place where Haru could choose a more elegant dress than the simple clothes she was wearing. The males discussed politics in the waiting room until the young lady emerged in a dusty red gown that brought out the same colour in her chocolate eyes, making them glow.

"You look lovely, Miss Haru," Lune said, smiling at his guest.

The Baron was speechless. Words simply failed him; he felt certain that whatever he said would not do justice to this vision before him.

"Thank you King Lune," Haru answered, curtsying low to the feline monarch. It had taken her a moment to reply she was so intent upon the Baron, she almost didn't hear what her host had said, almost forgot to reply. A red tinge returned to her cheeks as she glanced at the Baron.

He was walking towards her, like one would approach a figure in a wonderful, terrifying dream. Lightly, he took her hand in his own and bent over it, gently pressing his lips to her fingers.

Haru swallowed, staring at the orange ears, the top hat and cane that he was holding behind his back, the orange cat tail that curled out from between his white coat tails, the odd smile on the King's face.

He looked up from her hand, green eyes bright with restrained desire.

Haru swallowed again as she stared into those eyes and her mother's words came back to her: "You're not to let this gentleman talk you into being a harlot." She couldn't swallow again; her mouth was paper dry. No, she thought, but I would marry him if he asked me.

"King Lune?" she said tearing her thoughts away from foolish fantasies. "Would it be alright for me to take some pictures-?" Haru started to ask, taking her camera out of her bag.

"Only if we get copies," answered the blue-grey tom, his odd smile of a moment ago now grown into a grin. "And I'm sure Yuki would like it if she could get a picture with you and her together, possibly with all the kittens."

Haru smiled at that idea. More than anything, she wanted pictures of she and her friends together, and the Cat Kingdom had wonderful light for taking pictures, so she wouldn't need to worry about disturbing people with the flash – she could just turn it off.

"Might I ask a favour of you Miss Haru, Baron?" Lune said as they headed down the hall to where the kittens would be christened.

"Ask away," Haru said, surprised at him. "Can't say yes or no until we know what it is," she pointed out.

"In case something should happen to Yuki and I, would you be guardians for our kittens? Godparents?" he asked, his blue and red eyes pleading softly.

Baron smiled, Haru laughed. Something had very nearly happened to both parents and Haru had helped them without even knowing who they were.

"I'd love to," she answered, nearly crying with joy.

"It would be an honour, Sire," Baron said, bowing slightly as they walked.

Lune sighed in relief. He knew that he probably should have asked them the instant they arrived, but it hadn't felt quite right to spring it upon them so quickly. It had been Yuki's idea, and he had agreed that it was a good plan, and now their dearest friends had agreed. He wondered absently if it were possible for the day to get any better.

0

"I do name this kitten: Zola," the old cat priest said, sprinkling a little water between the white kitten's ears. It was the last to be named. Already the grey tom-kitten – the eventual heir to the throne – had been named Odo and the kitten with grey paws, nose and ears on her otherwise white pelt had been called Guda.

Baron and Haru were named before the court as Godparents to the royal kittens, and Haru took happy snaps almost the whole time.

The ceremony wasn't too long, and Yuki was hugging Haru before the girl even realised that it was over. The new queen insisted upon a picture with Haru, so the girl handed the camera over to Baron, explaining the mechanism. Yuki got her picture, and Haru asked for one with all the royal family together.

"And _both_ Godparents," Lune added, asking the priest if he would take the photo.

Lune held Zola, Yuki had Odo, and Haru was given Guda. Baron wrapped his arms around Haru, since there was no fourth kitten for him to hold. When the picture was taken, Haru gave Guda to one of the nursery maids and took back her camera. Then there was dancing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Haru had returned the elegant dress and was on her way to the lake. Lune had affairs of state to attend to, and Yuki had the kittens, but they had both said that she was welcome to wander castle and kingdom as she pleased. Natoru would fetch her when it was an hour until dawn. The tower had been rebuilt, so Haru wouldn't have to worry about plummeting to her death when she left this time. On the other paw, the maze had been left as a pile of rubble, so navigation to reach the tower wouldn't be a problem either.

Her first visit to the Cat Kingdom had cured her of her allergy to cattails, for which she was grateful, since she had had to deal with a yard full of them back home. Now she spread her towel out on the grassy lakeshore, dumped her bag beside it and stripped off her clothes until she wore only her swimsuit.

The water was just pleasantly cool as she waded in. When she was up to her waist in water, she dived and swam out further. It felt so good, being surrounded by water – it was almost like flying, only she had to hold her breath.

Surfacing, she saw that cats were staring at her from the shore. Haru giggled to herself. Cats weren't known to be very fond of water, so someone going in willingly and appearing to enjoy themselves was probably very strange to them. Tigers were the only feline to enjoy swimming, and all the cats in the Cat Kingdom were the domesticated kind. Fishing was fine, but not swimming.

One figure was approaching her things on the shore, and Haru started to swim back. She didn't like the idea of any of the cats just poking about in her things – she had dry underwear in her bag too after all.

Once she could clearly see who it was, Haru wondered whether she should relax or hurry. Baron probably wouldn't mess about in her things, but she really didn't want him to see her undies. She started swimming harder.

"Baron!" she called, putting her feet down on the lake bottom and standing. Water flowed off her, creating a splash that sent most of the cats scurrying, simply because they didn't like the sound. "Will you be joining me for a swim?"

"Actually, I was just looking for your camera, but why not?" he answered.

Haru watched, water ebbing around her thighs, as Baron put down his cane, removed his hat, jacket, vest, shoes and socks, then shirt. Haru swallowed. He was really, frightfully handsome, but all the same, she wasn't sure whether she wanted to see the trousers fall about his ankles.

Rather than wait and see if Baron would remove them or swim with them on, Haru turned and went back into the water. She dived as far as she could, concentrating completely on her own movements, refusing to think. She had to breathe and turned her body to kick upwards, bringing her to light and air.

"Enjoying yourself?"

"I am," Haru replied with a slightly silly smile on her face as she turned in the water to look at her swimming companion. "And you?"

"I rather think that I am too," Baron answered, lunging in the water to wrap his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him.

Haru squealed a little, taken by surprise, but was soon taken over by laughter. Water dripped from Baron's whiskers and ears, and wet though he was, she liked the feel of his uncovered chest on her bare skin.

All the same, she had come to the lake so that she could swim, not be held by – admittedly – the most wonderful guy she had ever met. Haru slipped out of his hold and pulled long easy strokes that carried her out to the middle of the lake. For a while she just floated, blissful: she was in paradise and in love… what _would_ her mother say?

A languid smile played on her features as the sound of someone else swimming closer reached her ears through the water. Just when she guessed them to be at about where her toes were, she straightened in the water, took a breath, and went down again, swimming for shore beneath the surface for as long as she had air in her lungs. Haru came up twice for more air before she put her feet down on the lake bottom again and walked up the grassy beach to her towel.

She had just finished towelling her hair when the sloshing of someone else getting out of the water made her turn her head. There he was, completely wet, probably a half-ton heavier with water in his fur and the pockets of his light grey trousers. Haru was just as glad to see that he hadn't stripped completely.

Towel still in hand, Haru reached up around his neck and started to dry his fur for him.

"Miss Haru! Miss Haru," Natoru called, approaching the wet pair, waving a paw at them. "One hour 'til dawn Miss Haru," he said.

"Thank you Natoru," she said, almost wishing that she didn't have to go. "Will you take a picture for me?" Haru asked, getting her camera out of her bag.

"Of course Miss Haru."

Still dripping, Haru wrapped an arm around a thoroughly soaked Baron, and felt his cold, wet furry arms encircle her. She rested her head on his shoulder and smiled dreamily at the camera in the brown cat's paws. The picture was taken and Haru resumed towelling the Baron. She heard the camera go _click_ a second time, and smiled to herself. It didn't matter after all.

Baron laid a hand on her forearm to stop her and took the towel from her pale hands. He draped it around her and took the camera back from Natoru, putting it in Haru's bag.

"Grab my things will you?" he asked the sycophantic feline as he scooped up Haru in his arms, holding her towel-enshrouded form to his still slightly damp front, her bag hanging from a wrist.

Baron ran with her in his arms to and up the tower. By the time they reached the open landing, they were both dry. Haru slipped out of his arms and took back her bag.

"A little privacy while I dress?" she asked, heading for a slightly shadowed corner.

"Of course," Baron answered, retreating back down the stairs to find Natoru with his own clothes.

Haru sighed and stripped, replacing swimsuit with clothes and pulling out her brush. Once her hair was ordered, she looked around for Baron. He was sitting with his back to her, top hat beside him, fully dressed.

A sigh escaped her as she stared at his back. Now she would miss him all over again, just when she thought she had him out of her system he proved that he wasn't, and that he never would be.

"Now I feel just as sure as I'm sure that my name isn't willow-tit-willow-tit-willow, that was blighted affection that made him exclaim 'Oh, willow-tit-willow-tit-willow' –" she heard him singing softly. She sat down beside him.

"And if you remain callous and obdurate I shall perish as he did, and you will know why, though I probably shall not exclaim as I die 'Oh, willow-tit-willow-tit-willow'." Haru sang along with him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"The sun will be rising soon," he said softly, looking at her brown mop of hair.

"Do I look like a cat?" Haru asked.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Do I look like a cat?" Haru asked.

Baron sighed, stood, and helped Haru up off the ground, hands around her arms gently, holding her close.

"If you did, I would simply _have_ to kiss you," he said. "As it is, I only _want_ to, _very_ much."

Haru's eyes grew wide, and for a moment could neither speak, nor move. _He's having me on_, she thought, but his wonderful green eyes made a liar out of her. His mouth wasn't too far, she'd just have to stand on her toes, and tilt up her chin… she did.

Coming apart again, she saw wonder and surprise in his green orbs, and then he kissed her, forcefully. Her arms wrapped around his neck, she felt his curl about her waist, and her tail curled in delight.

_Wait a minute… tail?!_ Haru broke desperately away and turned to see that, yes, she had a tail. She probably had fur and cat ears and whiskers too. Haru groaned – now she simply _had_ to reach the exit by dawn.

Haru grabbed her bag and ran. She had to run, she had to make it back to her own world, her own shape, her own size, her own home. She loved the Baron desperately, but she couldn't stay, she _couldn't_.

Strong arms swept her off her feet and carried her up the stairs even faster. It was Baron.

They emerged from the tower into a shady glen just as the sun shot its first decent ray of light across the world. Haru knew what came next, she could feel the changes happening just like last time, but she was still comfortable in the Baron's arms, so she must not have grown to human size yet.

He put her down gently.

She couldn't face him. She had run away from him like he was a creature of nightmares, just because she had turned into a cat again.

"I'm sorry Baron, I shouldn't have done that, I don't know what I was thinking…" she said, hands clasped over her heart, and shoulders curled up protectively, her back still to him. Salt water stung her eyes, but didn't overflow.

"Will you marry me Haru?"

She almost jumped in surprise, but her knees gave way instead, and she crumbled, to sit on the ground. The tears came freely now, though she did her best to hide them.

"How can I?" she said, fighting tears and shortness of breath to get out her answer. If only she could have said yes, that would have been the most wonderful thing. "How could it ever work out?"

"Haru, you know that I never suggest anything that I don't think is possible," Baron said.

She felt him sit down beside her and wrap an arm around her shoulders. It was no effort at all to lean into his chest and continue crying, no effort at all, and she was so tired. It was always noon in the Cat Kingdom, but she should have been asleep rather than swimming.

When she stilled, Baron gently pulled her back from his shoulder: she was sleeping. With a smile on his face and a shake of his head, he bundled her up in his arms again, putting her bag on her stomach so that he only had to worry about Haru and his cane.

"Oh my dear, let's get you home," he said, kissing her forehead gently before he set off.

0

A brisk tapping on the front door brought Naoko out of the kitchen, leaving her breakfast on the table. It could be Haru, if she had forgotten to take her key to the front door with her – though it was earlier than she would have guessed her daughter to return.

"Good morning, Mrs Yoshioka," said the young man standing on her doorstep. "I'm afraid Haru didn't get much sleep last night, so I thought it would be a good idea to bring her home."

Naoko stared at the young man who was holding her daughter in his arms so easily. He had orange hair and green eyes, and probably wasn't much older than Haru, despite the cane he also held – he didn't seem to need it after all.

"And just _why_ didn't my daughter get much sleep?" she demanded quietly, letting him in and closing the door behind him.

"After the christening there was dancing, and then she decided that she wanted to go for a swim. Is her bedroom upstairs?" he asked.

Naoko got the distinct impression that he meant to tuck her in.

"Put her on the couch, her alarm clock will probably go off in five minutes, and it isn't like she has to be anywhere," she answered, pointing him to the lounge room and kitchen.

He followed her finger and laid the girl out gently, putting a couple of cushions behind her head and finding a folded up blanket to cover her with.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered to the sleeping girl before straightening. Turning around, he faced her mother and nearly stepped back away from the woman. Only that Haru was on the couch immediately behind him prevented him from moving.

"She went for a swim in the middle of the night?" the red-headed woman demanded, her voice a harsh whisper.

"This is going to take a bit of explaining," he said, running a hand through his hair. He wasn't quite used to not finding his ears there yet, but he supposed that he would eventually. "Haru took her camera, if you want to see what she got up to…" he began, indicating the bag on the floor by the couch.

Naoko picked it up and went to the kitchen table, examining its contents.

"Well, at least she didn't go swimming with no clothes on," she said, finding Haru's swimsuit and towel. When her hand met camera, Naoko's focus centred on the small display screen as she went through all the pictures. "What's with all these cats?" she asked.

Baron sat down opposite Haru's mother and explained, pointing to various figures in the pictures. It took a while, and Haru was waking up by the time Naoko had reached the pictures taken by the lake.

"If it's alright with you, Mrs Yoshioka, I would like to marry Haru."

Haru was suddenly very wide-awake, hearing Baron's voice talking to her mother.

"I'm still finding all of this hard to swallow," Naoko replied.

Haru rolled over on the couch to see her mother talking to a young man with hair the colour of Baron's fur, and the same green eyes. Something had definitely happened.

"But if you really love her that much, it's fine with me, but you'll need to get a yes out of her."

"I promise I'll take good care of her," he said, rising from the kitchen table so that he could bow to his future mother-in-law before moving to check on Haru. "Hello," he said to her, wrapping one of his hands around hers, a question silently repeated in his green eyes.

"Baron?" she asked, shocked by the change. When had that happened? He rubbed the back of her hand with a thumb and mouthed "tit-willow" to her. Haru felt tears stinging her eyes again. "Yes, oh, yes Baron, I'll marry you," she said as tears of joy flowed down her cheeks.


End file.
